Page 64 of Tormented Oath

The monster in me roars with approval, tasting victory and violence on the horizon. But beneath the bloodlust, beneath the rage and betrayal, something else stirs.

Hope.

Because maybe, just maybe, trapping her will finally silence the wild boy who's been searching for her all these years. Maybe possessing her completely will heal the wound she left when she disappeared.

This time, she'll stay.

Whether she wants to or not.

* * *

The weapons safe opens silently, well-oiled hinges a testament to frequent use. Each gun, each blade represents a piece of the empire I never wanted, each thing part of the legacy that killed my brothers and broke my mother's spirit.

The legacy I'll pass to the child growing in Ava's womb.

My hands move with practiced efficiency, selecting artillery with the same precision I once used to plan backpacking routes through Thailand. Funny how life works.

"The priest will be ready in three hours," Tomasso reports from the doorway. "Says he can have the paperwork rushed through by morning."

I slide a ceramic blade into my ankle holster. "Have our lawyer draw up the contracts." My voice carries no trace of turmoil. "Full legal custody of the child. All assets in my name. No room for...misunderstandings."

"She won't sign willingly."

"She will." I check my shoulder holster, muscle memory from years of violence guiding each movement. "Once she understands the alternative."

The alternative. Such a civilized way to describe what awaits her if she refuses, if she tries to take my child and run again.

My phone buzzes. Matteo confirming his team's position around Ava's location.

"The southeast warehouse is ready," Tomasso continues. "Private, secure. Giuseppe's bringing the marriage license himself."

Marriage. The word tastes strange on my tongue. Once, in another life, I dreamed of proposing to Ava properly. Of getting down on one knee in that garden where we first kissed, promising her adventure and freedom and love.

Instead, I'm arranging what amounts to a hostage ceremony. Forcing her to choose between my protection and whatever fate the Fioris have planned for her.

"Your sister's been asking about her." Tomasso's voice softens slightly. "Says Ava was kind to her."

This memory hits me even harder. Ava sitting with Angela, discussing books and dreams while my mother looked on with actual awareness in her eyes. For a moment, I can see the future I wanted and the family we could have been.

The fantasy shatters as another report comes in. Tony's location confirmed at the Fiori compound. They’ve arrived. Time to move.

"Call Father Antonio." I straighten my cuffs, adjusting my sleeve to hide the ceramic blade. "Tell him I need his specialty services. The kind that leave no paper trail."

A second ceremony. A backup plan. Because one way or another, Ava will be mine. Legally. Irrevocably. Completely.

"Stefano..." Tomasso hesitates. "Your father always said marriage should be?—"

"My father is dead." The words come out sharp enough to make him step back. "Along with every soft, weak part of me that might have cared about things like choice or romance."

But even as I say it, something in my chest aches. Because I do care. I care enough to become the very monster I swore I'd never be. I care enough to trap her in a cage of legal documents and wedding rings, just to keep her safe.

I care enough to destroy anyone who tries to take her from me again.

The last weapon slides into place – a garrote wire thin enough to pass any security check. My reflection in the gun safe's mirror shows a man I barely recognize. Expensive suit. Controlled power. Eyes cold enough to make Chicago's underworld tremble.

Nothing like the boy who once promised Ava freedom.

"Everything's in position, Boss." Tomasso's voice pulls me back to the present. "Just waiting on your word."

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